The Chronicles of Narnia is Rebooting with ‘The Silver Chair’

We finally have news on the long-awaited fourth instalment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. Producer Mark Gordon told Collider that “We’re hoping to be able to make the movie very shortly. We’re very excited about it.”

Walden Media produced the first three Chronicles of Narnia adaptations, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Walden’s film rights expired in 2011 and in 2013 it was announced that The C.S. Lewis Company were working with The Mark Gordon Company on the next film. Walden had originally announced they would make The Magician’s Nephew next, but there were rumblings of creative differences between the studio and The C.S. Lewis Company. David Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland) announced on twitter that he had finished the script last year, but Harper Collins announced it was a hoax for some reason.

Unfortunately the delay ruined the momentum of the films and also ensured the talented Will Poulter could not return as Eustace Scrubb, although none of the other members of the original cast could return until The Last Battle – the one we hope they will never make. Gordon confirmed that:

“It’s all going to be a brand new franchise. All original. All original characters, different directors, and an entire new team that this is coming from.”

Collider did confirm that “original characters” will “come ‘from the world’ of Narnia”. And while I admit I have been watching Will Poulter grow taller and taller with dismay, a new cast will be the best approach after such a long gap.

TheSilver Chair‘s villain, The Lady of the Green Kirtle, was never given a first name and Harper Collins ran a competition for fans to name her last year. The Silver Chair, which is probably the darkest book in the series besides The Last Battle and one of the most visually interesting, sees Caspian, now King Caspian X and an old man, appeal for help when his only son Prince Rilian goes missing. Aslan calls on Eustace and his school friend Jill Pole to help, and they join forces with the Marsh-Wiggle Puddlegum to search for Caspian’s lost son.

About The Author

Olga Hughes is currently pre-occupied with fairy tales, fantasy, misanthropy, medieval history and the long eighteenth century. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Victorian College of the Arts and is currently majoring in Literature and History at Deakin. She has contributed to websites such as History behind Game of Thrones, The Anne Boleyn Files and The Tudor Society.

4 Responses

I think Olga is right – there will have to be a re-cast after the amount of time that has elapsed. Children grow up including child actors. I know Olga is disenchanted about the extreme looseness of the adaptation of the (later already published) ASOIAF in the GoT series but I think everybody would laugh out loud these days if Sophie Turner (whose acting I like) was passed off as a “maid of 13” which is book Sansa’s age. Does anyone think we will see James McAvoy come back as the faun in the new Narnia episode? That was one of his earlier (at least of the earlier of his substantial) big screen parts but he’s made loads of films since.

I don’t know, I have seen some old movies with women in their forties playing historical figures who are supposed to be in their twenties!
James’s character Mr. Tumnus doesn’t appear in any more Narnia books. Usually several Narnian centuries would pass between books. Off the top of my head only Reepi and Caspian appeared in books where the timeline was close together, besides the children that is. Caspian is back in Silver Chair but as a very old man – unless they do his ‘final’ scene (which I am discussing in an article shortly)

Years ago the BBC broadcast a Royal Shakespeare Company group of adaptations of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses plays. Peggy Ashcroft played Margaret of Anjou throughout and she carried off playing the younger Margaret as well as the older one. It’s probably obvious from my earlier comment that I only read the first Narnia book (I wonder where I got the idea that Mr Tumnus returned later from?)

Theatre is a little different, you’re not supposed to get caught up in what everything looks like. Sophie Turner was rather tall when she was twelve so I imagine she would have always looked a little older, it’s odd looking back at the first season now though. Her and Arya seem so small.

Mr Tumnus is one of the better known characters for some reason, although the first book is the most widely-read of course. James was lovely too. I loved the first adaptations, I’m sure they’ll do a great job on these ones too.

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